It's weird how some people seem to be loving this draft (Yahoo! Sports had a poll for the best draft, about 25% of the over 50,000 voters said it was the Rams, and PFT gave us an A), while others, especially around here, seem to be hating it. Personally, I have no idea why anyone would hate the draft the Rams had (besides picking Brandon...I mean Michael Hooma').
Why is this draft great? Because the sum is better then parts. Take a look after the jump:
First off, you have Sam Braford. Obviously, he's the franchise signal caller the Rams need (or so everyone hopes). He has a good arm and is very accurate. If he can transmit his success from college to the NFL, well, there is no doubt this pick is a home run.
Secondly, you have Rodger Saffold. He is a good prospect and wherever he goes, either RG or RT, he will most likely become a starter. I also don't understand why people don't believe the offensive line is a need. Obviously, the left half (+center) are taken care of. But on the right side, you have the old Hank Fraley, the penalty-prone Alex Barron, and the guy who can't play in more then 5 games a season because he's injured (Mark Setterstrom). I like Setts', but this half of the line is only...average at best. Complacency doesn't win you games.
In third, the Rams picked up Jerome Murphy. The Rams are hoping he is Bradley Fletcher 2, which is great. The Rams added a lot of secondary depth these last two years, and it's going to pay dividends. Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy should be able to excel in Spags' system because they fit it well. Pundits always complain that college systems hide players flaws. That's not the case here. Likewise is Mardy Gillyard. He has great hands and has sneaky speed. He can't burn you, but he can stop on a dime and can run at full throttle by step 3.
Next, you have Fendi Onobun (I'm skipping Hooma' because that was a WTH? moment). Why do people think Onobun a blocking tight end? He's a workout warrior; you don't put a guy who's 6'4", 250lbs and runs with 4.4 speed on the line. He definitely a passing tight end and he's raw (that's an understatement) Don't be surprised however if he makes a splash this season- I sure won't. (Of course he could not even make the team, which in that case, don't laugh at me too much).
Finally, you have Hall Davis, Josh Hull and George Selvie. Selvie is a steal, there is no doubt about that. Josh Hull seems like he could be a special teams player and Hall Davis seems to have promise as well. Darrell Scott, Leger Douzable, Gary Gibson. These are all players on the defensive line that weren't drafted high (or at all), yet the Rams got them to play quite impressively given what expectations people had for them when they joined the team. I feel like that's the same case here.
The point is, the Rams drafted to their strengths. They selected players that would fit their system and players they know they can get more value from then where they were drafted. There are some question marks, some projects, that's obvious. But without seeing the Rams draft boards, you can't slam them for not picking players. Maybe they wanted them, but didn't have them graded as high as somebody took them? Red Flags? Medical issues?
The point is, the Rams had an impressive draft full of players that can fit into the Rams system. They have too many holes to fill in one draft, and reaching for players who aren't worth it doesn't constitute the "filling of a hole."
The Rams had a great draft.
Enjoy your Tuesday!